


The World Seems to Burn

by thegalrahobbitofplantetgalilfrey



Series: The World Turned Upside Down. [8]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, as usual, happy birthday to keith, he has a really weird family, keith's knife, keith's mom is missing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-31 03:29:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12123564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegalrahobbitofplantetgalilfrey/pseuds/thegalrahobbitofplantetgalilfrey
Summary: Keith celebrates his birthday, but things turn sour when an unexpected guest arrives.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Last one. *deep breath* wish me luck!

“Wake up, lazybones!”

Keith groaned and pulled the covers over his head as his dad opened the blinds, letting sunlight flood in. “Nooooo. It’s a weekend. This is against the law.”

“Keith, it’s ten-o-clock.”

“Too early.”

“You know, when you were at summer camp-”

“Those were dark days. No father should ever put his child through that.”

“Enough with your mutiny. The summer camp people told me that you were always up bright and early.”

“I hate sleeping in strange places. Also, I was internalizing my life. Namely how I ended up sleeping in the same bunk as the loudest snorer as well as next to the second loudest snorer. This is my home, and I want sleep.”

“You forgot, didn’t you?”

“That it was my birthday? No. No I did not. I wish to use it as leverage to be left alone.”

“I know you’re kind of a night owl-”

“I am no owl. Owls are Katie’s thing. I am a bat, a ferocious bug-eater of the night.”

“Alright Batman. Out of bed. Your friends are going to be here in two hours.”

“And knowing you, you already set up everything at super-speed last night while I was in bed.”

His dad opened his mouth to argue and then decided not to. “Alright, that’s enough, up!”

“Just five more minutes.”

“If you’re awake enough to negotiate, you’re awake enough to get up.”

“I hate it when you use logic,” Keith grumbled, but he got out of bed nonetheless.

 

 

“Hey! Katie! You’re here!”

Katie gave him a scathing look. “Of course I am! You think I’m going to skip out on your birthday? How long have I known you?”

“Six years.”

“And how many times have I missed your birthday?”

“You did last year.”

“If I’d come last year, the only present you would’ve gotten would’ve been strep throat.”

Keith hugged her. She tensed up for a moment, but then relaxed and let him hug her. “I missed your constant insults.”

Katie looked like she was, for once, at a loss for words. “Well. I’ll just have to make up for my lack of insults, then. Can’t have you getting your self-esteem too high.”

Keith laughed. “Yes, ma’am!”

“By the way, Lance is stuck and may possibly need a ladder. Also, some pliers and some anti-sting.”

“What happened?”

“You know that really tall cactus?”

“Yeah.”

“The one that has all of the animals living in it and has really big spikes?”

“Yeah.”

“I dared him to climb it.”

“What?”

“I didn’t think he would, so I dared him to climb it. He’s stuck and needs help.”

 

 

Half an hour and twenty-five cactus spikes later, Lance was out of the cactus, and Hunk had arrived. The teens spent hours roaming the desert, eating pizza and singing happy birthday (mostly at incredibly inopportune times in order to annoy Keith). When he waved goodbye at nine-o-clock, he felt like nothing could spoil this day.

 

“Hey, Keith, how about some family time? We can pop on a movie, make some popcorn. Any movie you want.”

“How about _The_ _Lord of the Rings_ trilogy?”

“Isn’t that nine hours long?”

“Eighteen if we watch _The Hobbit_.”

Akira sighed. “Well, it’s your day. But no complaining tomorrow about lack of sleep.”

They had just set the movie up and had curled up on the couch when there was a knock on the door.

“Probably Lance realized he left something.” Keith hopped off the couch and opened the door. But the man outside was definitely not Lance.

“Hello. May I come in?”

“Uh… Dad?”

Keith’s father seemed to materialize at his side, glaring at the stranger. “You.”

“Hello, Akira. Glad to see you’re doing well. Aren’t you going to introduce me to your son?”

Akira’s hand tightened on Keith’s shoulder. “Keith. This is your grandfather.”

Keith frowned. “I thought Grandpa died before-”

“Your _other_ grandfather.”

Oh. That was why his father was being so cold. They didn’t talk much about Keith’s mother. She’d gotten married to Keith’s father, but left him with a newborn child and never contacted them. It had never really occurred to Keith that he _had_ another grandfather.

“May I come in?”

“Keith, go to your room.”

“Dad-”

“Just go.” Akira’s tone left no room for disagreement.

Keith went up the stairs, but stopped at the top to listen in as his grandfather and father walked into the kitchen.

“Honestly, Akira, you act like I’m going to hurt the child. I _am_ his grandfather. I _am_ allowed to visit occasionally.”

“You lost that right when your daughter ran off. Why are you here?”

“Can’t I just visit for the pleasure of seeing my son-in-law and grandson?”

“You’ve made it _quite_ clear in the past that you hate me, and you did _not_ approve of your daughter’s relationship with me.”

“Maybe I want to make amends.”

“Out with it. What do you want?”

“My daughter asked me to bring this for Keith, as well as a happy seventeenth birthday to him.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

“So, what, suddenly she finally takes interest in his life? After all this time, she finally cares enough to send a messenger? Why didn’t she come herself?”

“She’s very busy and-”

“So busy that she couldn’t drop by herself? That she sent _you_ instead?”

“What she’s doing is very import-”

“What could _possibly_ be more important than her own son?”

“You should feel lucky that she cared enough to do this. She’s interested in her son’s life. Isn’t that enough?”

“Oh, let me feel eternally grateful that she could find the time to send a person who hates me. She doesn’t _get_ to suddenly care about him. Where was she when he was _kidnapped_ and was forced to nearly _shoot_ his friend? Where was she when his best friend’s plane went down and he couldn’t stop mourning? Where was she when nightmares were keeping him awake and I was the only one there to comfort him? Where was she those last seventeen years of his life? Why now the interest in whether he lives or dies?!”

“Akira, stop this! You and I both know that neither of us can control or explain her actions! Do not take your frustration out on me, because I have even less of an idea of what she’s doing than you do! I came here only for Keith, because… because I have no idea where my daughter is, and he’s the only other blood family I know. Now, good night!”

Keith pressed himself closer to the wall as his grandfather swept out of the house, slamming the door behind him. After a tentative minute, he crept down the stairs and into the kitchen.

“Dad?”

Keith’s father sat with his arms crossed and a scowl plastered across his face. He nodded to a knife that was sitting on the table. “Your mother says happy birthday.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Throws Shiro at you* Please don't hurt me!

“Where are we going?”

“To the airport.”

“What? Why? I know the war ended two weeks ago and I know soldiers are coming home today but… but there’s no one there for us.”

“Just come on. You’ll understand when we get there.”

 

“This is stupid,” Katie declared, “Why are we here?”

“Just wait,” her mother answered, “You’ll see.”

 

Keith stared dismally at the line of soldiers coming in. He knew he’d lost his friends. Was it necessary to rub it in his face?”

“Keith?”

Keith looked up at the last few soldiers coming off the plane, and his eyes widened. He was here. Missing an arm and with a few new scars, but still him “Shiro!” Keith ran, sprinted up and launched himself into his friend, wrapping his arms around him. Next to him, Katie was doing the same to her brother.

“I thought… I thought…”

“I got abducted. But I’m here. I’m here now.”

Akira watched his son re-unite with his friend, smiling slightly to himself. “Happy birthday, son.”

**Author's Note:**

> Happiness and sunshine now.


End file.
